THE UN-DRESS CODE

July 15, 2015

During the summer months, it's a safe bet you'll find me within close proximity of a tennis court (watching or playing) or on a cricket boundary, supporting everyone from Olly/friends to England (Ashes anyone?) Paired with a healthy dose of mood-boosting sun and I'm truly in my happy place.

And with regular summer haunts including Queen's, Wimbledon and Lord's, a small section of my wardrobe is reserved for smartening up for these kind of occasions. Unlike Ascot's rigorous dress code stipulations, there aren’t specific guidelines to adhere to (bar Members’ Enclosures, Pavilion etc) – but it’s definitely not obvious what to wear.

Treading the fine line between scruff bag and WAG is a crucial happy medium to recognise. One of my favourite – and easiest – ways to achieve this is via the dress and trainers combo. Enter my trusty striped Theory dress, ticking the box for effort without over-doing it, which I wore to Queen’s last month. Teamed with fuss-free, white kicks I picked up in a French market last month and a summer biker jacket, there was also a sub-conscious tennis vibe going on…

Dress | Theory

Jacket | Gap

Trainers | Antibes Market

Bangles | Oliver Bonas

Bracelet | Thomas Sabo

One recent outing that could have proved a head-scratcher was to Chelsea’s Burton Court for the Flannels for Heroes charity cricket match. While I consider this second look too smart for all of the above (strictly heel-free zones in my book), it was just about the right balance for this one-off special occasion. And nothing prettifies something up more than pleats. And pink.